Life without limb-its: The astonishing story of the man born without arms or legs... who plays golf, surfs, and swims

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Nick Vujicic was born with no arms or legs - but he doesn't let the details stop him.

The brave 26-year-old - who is mainly torso - plays football and golf, swims, and surfs, despite having no limbs.

Nick has a small foot on his left hip which helps him balance and enables him to kick.
He uses his one foot to type, write with a pen and pick things up between his toes.

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'I call it my chicken drumstick,' joked Nick, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, but now lives in Los Angeles. 'I'd be lost without it.

'When I get in the water I float because 80 per cent of my body is lungs and my drumstick acts as a propeller.'

Due to his faith as an Evangelical Christian, Nick has chosen to remain a virgin until marriage although he has had long-term girlfriends in the past.

'He's very modest but he gets marriage proposals from women all the time,' said Nick's friend and publicist Steve Appel, from Los Angeles.

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He would love to get married and start a family but he's waiting for the right girl to come along.'

When Nick was born his father was so shocked he left the hospital room to vomit. His distraught mother couldn't bring herself to hold him until he was four months old.

His disability came without any medical explanation - a rare occurrence called Phocomelia - and Nick and his parents spent many years asking why this cruel trick would happen to them.

'My mother was a nurse and she did everything right during pregnancy but she still blamed herself,' he said.

'It was so hard for them but right from the start they did their best to make me independent.

'My dad put me in the water at 18 months and gave the courage to learn how to swim.

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'I was deeply depressed when I was eight years old,' he said. 'I went to my mum crying and told her I wanted to kill myself.
I felt cold and bitter. I hated God for doing this to me and was terrified of what would happen when my parents weren't there to look after me.

'I could brush my own teeth with a wall mounted brush and wash my own hair with pump action soap, but there was so much that was impossible for me.'

At age ten Nick, tried to drown himself in the bath but luckily the attempt was unsuccessful.

'I felt there was no purpose when you lack purpose and strength it is hard to hold on,' he said.

But with the help of his religion, friends and family, Nick managed to pull through to become an international symbol of triumph over adversity.
The football fan is now a motivational speaker and has travelled to over 24 countries speaking to groups of up to 110,000 people.

'When I was 13 I read a newspaper article about a disabled man who had managed to achieve great things and help others,' said Nick, who also plays golf with the club tucked under his chin.

'I realised why God had made us like this - to give hope to others. It was so inspirational to me that I decided to use my life to encourage other people and give them the courage that the article had given me.

'I decided to be thankful for what I do have, not get angry about what I don't.

'I looked at myself in the mirror and said: 'You know what the world is right that I have no arms or legs, but they'll never take away the beauty of my eyes.' I wanted to concentrate on something good that I had.'

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When kids run up to me and ask 'what happened?' I just lean over and whisper 'cigarettes', he laughed.

What a Remarkable Man!

__________________"Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."
--Hugh Latimer, October 16, 1555